Talking Feds: “Inside City Hall” (Jan 5, 2026)
Host: Harry Litman
Guests: Jenny Durkin (Former Mayor, Seattle), Steve Adler (Former Mayor, Austin), Bill Peduto (Former Mayor, Pittsburgh)

Overview

This episode, a rebroadcast of a much-discussed 2022 roundtable, features three accomplished former mayors—Jenny Durkin (Seattle), Steve Adler (Austin), and Bill Peduto (Pittsburgh). Together, they dissect the evolving role of American mayors, the increasing demands placed on city leaders, and the collision of local, national, and even global concerns at the municipal level. Special attention is given to both the foundational “nuts and bolts” of mayoral governance and the way mayors have become laboratories of innovation and crisis response.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Fundamentals of Being Mayor

Timestamps: 06:42–14:37

• Bread-and-Butter Basics: All mayors, regardless of city size, are expected to ensure everyday services run smoothly: filling potholes, keeping utilities operating, and, above all, ensuring public safety.
  • Jenny Durkin: “The nuts and bolts of being mayor is what you’ve got to get right first... The very basic things that provide a city security and of course, public safety, because the base level, the social contract, requires those base amounts.” (06:42)
• Structural Nuances: Mayoral powers can differ wildly based on local charters—“strong” vs “weak” mayor models—but public perception doesn’t always respect those boundaries.
  • Bill Peduto emphasizes the state-defined powers and complexities: “Each local government has different authority and power by which a mayor governs and what authority they have to govern dictated by the states in which they operate.” (07:43)
  • Steve Adler reframes Austin’s “weak mayor” setup as a “city manager, council form of government” with blurred lines between policy and management, but stresses, “The community is going to hold the mayor responsible for the fundamentals of government... regardless of the form of government.” (09:10; 10:55)

2. Accountability and Public Expectation

Timestamps: 11:13–19:34

• Mayors are blamed for all city failures—regardless of whether they have actual authority over the cause.
  • Steve Adler: “Community does not like hearing a mayor say... ‘I didn’t have the ability or power, you need to talk to somebody else.’” (12:26)
• The role demands transparency and presence, especially in crisis.
  • Jenny Durkin: “Being transparent and being visible and present is really important. Whether it’s a sudden blizzard, a smoke emergency, you name what it is.” (16:57)
• Mayors must own public mistakes, even when the problem is systemic.
  • Bill Peduto, on responsibility after staff errors or crises: “You have to be cognizant that always the buck stops with you... you’re the one that’s going to wear it.” (15:54)
• Public misconceptions persist: that the mayor can fix anything with a “magic wand.”
  • Jenny Durkin: “Most people think mayors have a wand and somehow something goes wrong, you can just wave it and it’s going to be better.” (18:12)
  • Bill Peduto agrees: “The expectations are there for you to be able to solve other people’s problems, whether it is outside of your constituency...” (18:43)

3. Crisis and Controversy: Social Reckonings Thrust on Cities

Timestamps: 19:41–28:34

• Mayors faced with national reckonings—George Floyd, pandemic, climate disasters—often operate without sufficient tools or jurisdiction.
  • Jenny Durkin: “I really believe mayors saved America by coming together... even before governors acted or the federal government acted.” (21:07)
  • Bill Peduto: “I don’t believe there was one mayor in the United States that publicly endorsed the notion of defunding the police... What was required was more resources, not less...” (22:26)
• National political “framing” can distort local efforts.
  • Steve Adler: “I got home that night, I saw two tweets, one from my governor accusing me of having defunded the police, and one from one of my more progressive allies on the city council taking credit for having defunded the police. And I knew for an absolute fact that one thing we did not do in our budget was to fund the police. So I actually held a press conference... but my little voice saying, wait a second, we didn’t actually defund was lost.” (25:32)
• The unique nonpartisan approach among mayors is highlighted as both a strength and increasingly under threat.
  • Jenny Durkin: “When we meet together as mayors... Sometimes you don’t know if there’s an R or D because it’s not part of our job... Cities have become the laboratory of America.” (27:47)

4. The Modern Mayor: Convener and Innovator

Timestamps: 28:34–38:46

• Beyond basic services, successful mayors use “convening power” to gather stakeholders (foundations, corporations, institutions) and address entrenched urban issues.
  • Bill Peduto: “A mayor who doesn’t just work off of the tax base... but a mayor that can pull together what I call the PIPs, Public Institution and private... and let’s solve it together.” (30:03)
• New era: Mayors tackle issues once thought beyond their scope—affordable housing, climate change, homelessness, even national immigration or marriage equality debates.
  • Jenny Durkin: “Mayors have been forced into some very national and global discussions, like climate change, that required mayors to come together and talk to each other about initiatives and innovations.” (33:35)

5. Collaboration, Networks, and Peer Support

Timestamps: 40:20–42:34

• Speed-dial networks and organizations (US Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities) are vital, not just in policy innovation but in crisis support.
  • Bill Peduto, on mayors supporting each other after tragedies: “We refer to it as the committee that you never want to be on... But so is talking to somebody who’s lived it and hearing that voice on the other end who understands it.” (41:00)

6. Turbulent State-City Relations

Timestamps: 45:04–49:00

• Cooperation with state governments varies—sometimes productive, often strained by red-blue divides, particularly on high-visibility issues like Covid, immigration, and homelessness.
  • Steve Adler: “My governor more than not talks to me through tweets and through press conferences... It’s not constructive, but it is the reality that we deal with in Texas.” (45:44)
  • Jenny Durkin: “Governor Inslee... was a great ally, particularly on Covid. But there’s other issues where state government, it’s convenient for them to be absent. Like on homelessness...” (47:16)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Jenny Durkin
  • “The beauty of having mayors here is that every mayor... their job is to make sure things run well for the residents.” (06:42)
  • On public presence: “Be right up front when things go right and when things don't go as well.” (16:57)
  • Defining the modern role: “I think that mayors have a model showing how we can get it right, but they also show the jeopardy if it just becomes another partisan tug of war.” (27:47)
  • Why she loved the job: “Harnessing the positive power of community.” (50:33)
• Steve Adler
  • “Regardless of the form of government, which means the mayor has a really significant role in helping a city coalesce around ideas and direction...” (10:55)
  • On “defund the police” political dynamics: “My little voice saying, wait a second, we didn’t actually defund was lost.” (26:11)
  • Why he loved the job: “The unique ability to impact quality of life at scale.” (50:20)
• Bill Peduto
  • On responsibility: “You have to be cognizant that always the buck stops with you.” (15:54)
  • On mayoral collaboration: “We talk and we joke that there’s three parties in the United States, Democrats, Republicans, and Mayors.” (23:34)
  • On convening power: “A strong mayor... has the ability to pull those people together.”—referring to partnerships beyond government for city improvement. (32:17)
  • Why he loved the job: “All access pass to Pittsburgh.” (49:49)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 06:42 — The “nuts and bolts” expectations of a mayor
• 09:10 — Government structure: strong vs. weak mayor systems
• 12:47 — Accountability in practice, public perception, and visibility
• 21:07 — Mayors’ roles in pandemic and George Floyd protests
• 22:26 — Why mayors didn’t embrace “defund the police”
• 25:32 — Media narratives and political framing during crises
• 30:03 — Convening power and public-private partnerships
• 33:35 — Mayors stepping into national/global issues like climate change
• 40:20 — Peer support networks and crisis responses among mayors
• 45:44 — State government dynamics and partisanship
• 49:49 — Reflections: What was the most rewarding aspect of being mayor

Concluding Thoughts

This episode underscores how the mayoralty—once seen as a parochial, “pothole-fixing” role—now encompasses national leadership, coalition-building, and direct response to unprecedented crises. The three former mayors stress the importance of public presence, cross-partisan innovation, and peer support, all within a system rife with structural ambiguity and political challenge. Ultimately, as each shares in their closing reflections, the heart of the job is about harnessing community power and making tangible change where it matters most.